Synodical Divine Liturgy for the Protector of the Holy Synod (PHOTOGRAPH)

Synodical Divine Liturgy for the Protector of the Holy Synod (PHOTOGRAPH)

For Romfea.gr | Athanasios Thanopoulos

On Tuesday, February 6, 2018, the memory of the Holy Father Fotios the Great, Patriarch of Constantinople, Protector of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece was celebrated with particular glory in the Temple of the Holy Monastery of the Virgin Mary in Penteli.

His Beatitude, Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, Mr. Ieronymos did the Synodical Divine Liturgy along with the Bishops of Syros, Mr. Dorotheos and Siatistis Mr. Pavlos.

By the end of the Divine Liturgy, a joint meeting of the Holy Synod was held along with the Professors of the Theological Schools of Athens and Thessaloniki in the Hall of the Orthodox Centre of the Church of Greece.

During the meeting, Archbishop Ieronymos addressed a greeting and referred to Saint Fotios. “The wise Patriarch belongs to the paternal personalities who have defined the content of the History in a unique way. I think that the important thing is our reason and our attitude as Shepherds and Teachers not to confine ourselves to ascertains.” Mentioned among others, the Beatitude.

He also stressed that “Nowadays there is an indescribable spiritual poverty, which expands existential dead-ends. Our opinion is that when the world changes, then it is precisely the time when we need to strengthen our roots.”

It is worth mentioning that in this year’s celebration, main speaker was Mr. Emmanuel Perselis, Professor of the Theological School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, on the following subject: “Byzantine Education, Saint Fotios and Modern Greek School Religious Education. Separate or intertwined narratives?”

After the speech of the Professor, Mr. Perselis, His Beatitude stressed: “The Professor’s speech give us the opportunity to see the way Education proceeds and see things without prejudice or self-interest, but with honesty.”

In his closing, Archbishop Ieronymos stressed: “Self-interest is everywhere nowadays, in the current events of the Religious courses, that many of us have reached the conclusion that religious courses are not a matter of the Church.”